Announcing the MountainOne Scholarship!

The MountainOne scholarship was established to assist students enrolled in a degree program at MCLA and who have been impacted by the closure of North Adams Regional Hospital. Applications can be downloaded by clicking on MountainOne Scholarship Application.

Financial Aid at MCLA

Over 76% of students receive need based financial aid, mostly as a combination of grants, loans, and part-time employment. When you complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) you automatically apply for a wide range of state, federal, and MCLA assistance, such as Pell Grants, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, MASS Grants, the College Work-Study Program, Perkins Loans, and Federal Direct Student Loans.

If you haven't already, review the estimated costs to attend MCLA. Especially given the opportunities a quality MCLA education provides, it's surprisingly affordable.

SALT Money at MCLA

Are you money savvy? Both current students and alumni are encouraged to join SALT, a free financial literacy program that helps you own your finances. With the program, you can keep track of your student loans in one place, search for scholarships and internships, and find resources to teach you everything you need to know about the financial world.

Financial Aid Overview

Regardless of whether you're an undergraduate, graduate, degree completion, or certificate program student, follow these basic steps each academic year. You must be formally accepted into your program of study and be enrolled at least half time to be eligible, and you must also maintain satisfactory academic progress to keep your aid.

Important info for Professional MBA students, Master of Education,or CAGS, Certificate of Advanced Studies. Please note: the CAGS Program is only eligible for financial aid up to 33 credits.Important Information for the Leadership Academy: Please note that the Leadership Academy is not eligible for Federal Student Loans. Individuals needing to borrow should review the Alternative Loan Programs available through the link below listed under #4.

1.Complete the FAFSA Form

School Code: 002187 MCLA CEEB #: 3521

Priority application date: March 1 for the academic year, December 1 for spring acceptance; you can complete and return starting January 1 of the award year

Tips: Complete all sections accurately. To electronically sign before submitting, you and at least one parent (if you are dependent) must have a PIN number. You may want to search online for video tutorials that show how to complete the form.

When completing your FAFSA, it is strongly recommended that you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If that's not possible, Get Transcript will be the preferred method for obtaining an IRS Tax Return Transcript. To request a printable transcript, go to the IRS website and provide the requested information. A document will immediately appear on the screen that you can view, print, and save. Bring or mail this printed transcript to the Financial Aid Office.

If this option is not available to you, you must put in a request for a paper copy to be mailed to you. Note that with this option, it may take several weeks for you to receive the paper transcript.

2. Complete Verification Documents

You may be asked to verify the accuracy of your information by providing documents such as an IRS Tax Return Transcript. Print, complete,mail or fax (413.662.5105) requested forms to the Financial Aid office.

Priority application date: March 1 for the academic year, December 1 for spring acceptance. The following forms are for 2015-2016 academic year.

Fall 2015 - Spring 2016 Forms

If you need forms for 2014-2015, please contact the Financial Aid Office at 413-662-5219.

Special Circumstance requests are not reviewed until late July, to enable MCLA to base its decision on at least 6 months of actual earnings. Other requests are considered as they are received.

3. Review Your Award Letter

This letter describes the grant aid and loans you'll receive from federal and state governments, and MCLA needs-based resources. It also lists work study opportunities available to you.

Letter receipt: Expect to see this letter after March 1 for the fall and spring academic year, after December 1 for spring acceptance, or April for summer. Returning students will receive their award letter through their Banner Self-Service Account.

You may also want to consider an alternative student loan. Many of these educational loans have variable interest rates and are credit based. Their terms are often not as favorable as government-sponsored loans.

STEM Field Majors

If you're majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM), see how the Commonwealth Covenant Fund can cover some of your loans after graduation, if you work or teach in a STEM field in Massachusetts.